title: Morphologic characterization and distribution of endocrine cells in the large intestine of the opossum Didelphis aurita (Wied-Neuwied, 1826).
abstract: This study was designed to investigate the morphology and distribution of argyrophil, argentaffins, and insulin-immunoreactive endocrine cells in the large intestine of the opossum Didelphis aurita. Fragments of the large intestine of 10 male specimens of the opossum D. aurita were collected, processed, and submitted for histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, and scanning electron microscopy. The tunics of the large intestine of D. aurita presented morphological characteristics that have already been described for eutherian mammals. The morphometric data showed that the inner circular layer of all portions and regions analyzed is thicker relative to the longitudinal layer, and these layers in the rectum are thicker compared to the cecum and ascending colon. The majority of mucus-secreting cells have acid and neutral mucins, suggesting that the production of mucus is mixed. The number of these cells increases in the region of the cecum toward the rectum. Important findings include the occurrence of argyrophil, argentaffins, and insulin-immunoreactive endocrine cells in all segments of the large intestine of the opossum (D. aurita). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report about the presence of insulin-immunoreactive endocrine cells in the large intestine of the opossum (D. aurita).
authors.affiliation: Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa UFV, Viçosa, MG, Brazil. daiane.santos@ufv.br
authors.forename: Daiane Cristina Marques
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.forename: Marli do Carmo
authors.initials: Mdo C
authors.lastname: Cupertino
authors.forename: Rômulo Dias
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Novaes
authors.forename: Ítalo Augusto da Costa
authors.initials: ÍA
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Cláudio César
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Sérgio Luis Pinto
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: da Matta
authors.forename: Sirlene Souza Rodrigues
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Sartori
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D048293:Didelphis; D055098:Endocrine Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D020397:Goblet Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007328:Insulin / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007420:Intestine, Large / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D009093:Mucus / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin
keywords: Argyrophil and argentaffin endocrine cells; Histochemistry; Immunohistochemistry; Insulin-immunoreactive endocrine cells; Opossum; Scanning electron microscopy